Grammophon 2023

French born conductor Lorin Maazel took over the Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin in 1964 and stayed as chief conductor till 1975. in the beginning he recorded for Deutsche Grammophon with the Berliner Philharmoniker. He was in leading positions at Wiener Staatsoper, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and many more. Over the years he recorded for many labels but his early recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, to whom he returned over the years, are still one of his most important ones.

This 2-CD single-layer SACD compilation album contains 22 tracks selected from the titles that have been produced as single-layer SACDs from Deutsche Grammophon's analog period recordings as a Japanese original project. DISC1 contains symphonies and orchestral pieces. DISC2 contains concertos, chamber music, instrumental music, and vocal music from a wide range of classical music genres. Available for the price of one SACD. Celebrating Deutsche Grammophon's 125th anniversary.

This 2-CD single-layer SACD compilation album contains 22 tracks selected from the titles that have been produced as single-layer SACDs from Deutsche Grammophon's analog period recordings as a Japanese original project. DISC1 contains symphonies and orchestral pieces. DISC2 contains concertos, chamber music, instrumental music, and vocal music from a wide range of classical music genres. Available for the price of one SACD. Celebrating Deutsche Grammophon's 125th anniversary.

As a “wunderkind” he sat on Pietro Mascagni’s lap, he accompanied the “Dying Swan” danced by the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, and Fritz Kreisler confessed to the young violinist that he did not know what else to teach him. “No one places Schneiderhan in the company of Kreisler, Heifetz, Huberman, Szigeti or Stern, yet he was as ‘complete’ a violonist as any of them, maybe even more so", wrote the English critic Tully Potter. Wolfgang Schneiderhan’s playing was noble, balanced and sober, but at the same time intense, heartfelt and fetching. Artistic distance and immediacy of expression were not opposites for him. He attached great importance to reliable musical scores and placed himself at the service of the music – qualities that would later become important for historical performance practice. In short, a fascinating artist to be rediscovered.

Matthias Goerne, one of the most high-profile Schubertians of his generation, has recorded a selection of Schubert’s songs not in their original versions with piano but in orchestral arrangements by Alexander Schmalcz, Goerne’s accompanist of many years’ standing. Goerne says about Alexander Schmalcz’s arrangements: “His creativity in adapting these songs for the orchestra is enormous, while his stylistic sensibilities and his subtle approach in deploying the right instruments at the right moment are truly astonishing.” “Schubert’s ability to empathize makes him one of the most important composers in the whole of human history. (…) He created “a perfect balance between intellectuality and the greatest naturalness. With Schubert, even the most complicated melodies and forms sound entirely natural.” (Goerne) And yet what we hear on this album is “pure Schubert”, Alexander Schmalcz insists. “I have added nothing. Sometimes I fill out the voices by doubling the octave, for example. Or I write sustained chords in the orchestra in order to simulate the sound-surfaces that are the result of the use of the sustaining pedal on the piano. But my goal is to be as original as possible.”

One of the most famous African-American sopranos, Kathleen Battle received her vocal training at the Cincinnati College Conservatory, where she studied voice with Franklin Bens and also worked with Italo Tajo. While at Cincinnati she came to the attention of conductor Thomas Schippers who brought her to the Spoleto Festival in South Carolina to sing the Brahms Requiem in 1972. She made her stage debut in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia as Rosina with the Michigan Opera Theater in Detroit in 1975. Susanna in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro was her New York City Opera debut role in 1976.

One of the most famous African-American sopranos, Kathleen Battle received her vocal training at the Cincinnati College Conservatory, where she studied voice with Franklin Bens and also worked with Italo Tajo. While at Cincinnati she came to the attention of conductor Thomas Schippers who brought her to the Spoleto Festival in South Carolina to sing the Brahms Requiem in 1972. She made her stage debut in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia as Rosina with the Michigan Opera Theater in Detroit in 1975. Susanna in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro was her New York City Opera debut role in 1976.

The Amadeus Quartet developed a reputation as one of the finest string quartets from the second half of the twentieth century. Its tradition and style were Viennese and its repertory was largely Austro-German: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms were at the core, though it performed works by Smetana, Franck, Bruckner, Bartók, Britten, Tippett, and other twentieth century composers. They also regularly performed quintets and sextets (Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, etc.), usually adding cellist William Pleeth and/or violist Cecil Aronowitz.

"Alice Sara Ott gives a strong-centred account with plenty of power and flair; and she is much blessed to have as her companions the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, sounding fabulous under Esa-Pekka Salonen with radiant tone and the textures shimmering with detail…"